Blue Grotto

By small boat, you may visit what appears to be a paradise on the island of Bisevo: the famed Blue Grotto, where the sun reflecting makes the sea even more intensely blue. This limestone grotto, accessible only by sea, has an underwater aperture that allows in sunlight as noon approaches throughout the summer months. For more than two hours, beams fly through the water in a stunning pattern, showering the cave in brilliant blue light.

The Blue Cave, discovered in 1884, is located on the eastern point of Bievo, directly across from Vis's main resort of Komia. Komia, home to famed lobster restaurants and the island's most notable bar center, is littered with travel firms, many of which sell day trips to Bievo on boards surrounding the harbourfront. Vis, which was a closed military installation until Croatian independence in 1991, was late to modern-day tourism. Bievo's popularity is a relatively new phenomenon.

Tours are also organized from the principal resorts on the islands of Bra and Hvar, with departures timed to arrive in Bievo after 11 a.m. Tourists skip breakfast in favor of a full day of activities that includes lunch and an afternoon on the beach near the cave. Companies that organize an easy there-and-back arrangement for Bievo, even from neighboring Komia, are becoming increasingly rare. All-day excursions are the norm.

Location: Croatia